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Giants coach Tom Coughlin started filling out his staff Tuesday, retaining two assistants who worked under former coach Jim Fassel while hiring two others from his days in Jacksonville.
Tight ends coach Mike Pope and assistant special teams coach Mike Priefer, who worked with Coughlin during his final season with the Jaguars in 2002, will be back next season.
Running backs coach Jerald Ingram and strength and conditioning coach Jerry Palmieri worked with Coughlin at Boston College and Jacksonville. Tickets
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``Good coaching is getting players to perform,'' said Coughlin, who last week
hired Tim Lewis as his defensive coordinator. ``All you have to do is look at
the players they've coached.''
Pope has seen five of his tight ends selected to the Pro Bowl. Mark Bavaro was chosen during Pope's first tour with the Giants in the mid-1980s, and Jeremy Shockey was selected in each of the last two seasons.
``He is the best tight ends coach in football,'' said Coughlin, who was an assistant with Pope during Bill Parcells' tenure here.
Priefer spent last season as assistant special teams coach and administrative assistant to the head coach, the same roles he had for Coughlin in Jacksonville in 2002, his first year in the NFL.
Ingram is a 20-year coaching veteran. He spent a year as a graduate assistant at Michigan, his alma mater, in 1984, and then went to Ball State before joining Coughlin at Boston College in 1991.
Under Ingram, Fred Taylor rushed for more than 1,200 yards three times with Jacksonville. The Jaguars were also the only NFL team to rush for 2,000 yards each season between 1998 and 2000.
Palmieri worked at North Carolina, Oklahoma State and Kansas State before joining Coughlin at Boston College and later following him to the NFL. He spent last season with the Saints as an assistant strength and conditioning coach.
The Giants also announced the signings of quarterback Ryan Van Dyke, offensive lineman Dion Meredith, defensive end Sean Guthrie, running back Antoine Womack, guard Travis Scott and defensive tackle Mario Monds.
Van Dyke, Meredith and Guthrie were allocated to NFL Europe.